HF Activity Group - everyday on 17, 15, 12 and 10 meters!

 

If you want to have some fun or try a new HF antenna - these are the guys to check out! They start on 17M at 17:30z every

 afternoon. Lots of check-ins from across North America and usually around the world. Great group of folks here. 

Check out their web site for all the details: https://hfqso.com/about/

What frequencies? When?

FREQ MHz START GMT UNTIL GMT

18.1575         17:30         18:30

21.3830         18:30         19:15

24.9700         19:15         19:45

28.5700         19:45         20:15

The HF Radio Activity Group started over 10+ years ago with a small group of radio operators, W3FF, W8YCM and more.  This group of radio operators would meet every day on a specific set of frequencies across multiple HF bands.

The purpose is twofold, first to determine what the propagation is in real time for that day, for no other reason than curiosity about radio. The second reason is to have fun using amateur radio.

13 Colonies Special Event - July 1st -July7th

 

link: http://www.13colonies.us/

from the July 2022 RARA Rag newsletter:

17 meter Activity Group -

 If you want to have some fun or try out a new antenna - these are the guys to check out! They start on 17M at 17:30z every afternoon. Lots of check-ins from across North America and usually around the world. Great group of folks here. Check it out!

From Gary; K5IGO

Join us daily on the Activity Groups. Open to all. It is not a net, just a bunch of guys getting together daily to check propagation on these great bands. No roll call, just a list gathered up daily. Stop by and check us out.  73

17m - 18.157.50 at 17:30-18:30 UTC

15m - 21.383 at 18:30-19:00 UTC

12m - 24.970 at 19:00-19:30 UTC

10m -  Freq is usually picked that day at 19:30 UTC -

Geomagnetic storm warning - Saturday 3/23/19

From Spaceweather.com,  link: http://spaceweather.com/

GEOMAGNETIC STORM WARNING: NOAA forecasters say there is a 75% chance of geomagnetic storms on March 23rd when a coronal mass ejection (CME) is expected to sideswipe Earth's magnetic field. Storm levels could reach category G2, which is moderately strong. During G2-class storms, auroras may be seen in northern-tier US states as far south as New York and Idaho. Aurora alerts: SMS text, email.

BIG CRACKLING SUNSPOT: A few days ago, sunspot AR2736 didn't exist. Now, the rapidly-growing active region (movie) stretches across more than 100,000 km of the solar surface and contains multiple dark cores larger than Earth. Moreover, it has a complicated magnetic field that is crackling with C-classsolar flares. The sunspot is inset in this magnetic map of the sun from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory:

Listen to VE0JS on her RTW sailing attempt

Jeanne Socrates - Maritime Mobile on her Round The World (RTW) Record Setting Sail 


Jeanne Socrates; VE0JS is about 3 months into her around-the-globe voyage that could set a new world record. The 76-year-old sailor set sail from Victoria BC, Canada in early October aboard her 38-foot sail boat.Jeanne is attempting to the be the oldest person to sail solo, unassisted and non-stop around the globe. She already holds the record as the oldest woman to circumnavigate the globe.

Socrates has made two attempts to be the oldest person to sail alone, but has experienced several challenges during her initial voyages. Well underway on her current attempt, Socrates officially crossed the equator on November 4th and the tip of Africa on December 20th.


If all goes according to plan, Socrates is aiming to circumnavigate the globe in eight months which would bring her back to Victoria in May of 2019. Check out her progress, radio schedule and other trip details on her QRZ link below:

Jean's QRZ page:
https://www.qrz.com/db/VE0JS/?mlab=

Check out her latest status update on her blog: 
https://svnereida.com/blog

Santa Net returns on 3.916 Mhz beginning November 23rd

For the 13th consecutive year, The 3916 Nets will be presenting The Santa Net on 3.916 MHz. Good girls and boys can talk to Santa Claus, via amateur radio, nightly at 7:30 PM (Central) starting Friday, November 23, 2018. The Santa Net will run nightly at 7:30 PM Central through Christmas Eve, December 24, 2018. Link: http://www.tailgatersnet.com/santa-net.html

Pete Thomson (KE5GGY), of The 3916 Nets, commented on The 3916 Santa Net. He said, "Christmastime is our favorite time of the year on 3.916 MHz. Our group thoroughly enjoys helping young people and their families have a shared Christmas experience that they'll always remember. In addition, Santa Net has introduced a lot of young people to the magic of amateur radio."


Youngsters can talk to "Santa at The North Pole" via strategically placed operators who relay the voice of Santa. Thomson said that The Santa Net is a team effort that involves the efforts of a number of 3916 Net members. He said, "In our first year, we connected 10 kids to Santa on Ham Radio and it's grown steadily since. For 2018, we're expecting between 600-700 children to participate."
Prenet check-ins are welcome each night starting at 7:00 PM central time.

The Santa Nets are presented annually by The 3916 Nets. The Rag Chew Crew, The Tailgaters and The Freewheelers are all amateur radio nets that meet on 3.916 MHz nightly. For more information on The 3916 Nets, go to http://www.3916nets.com For more information on The Santa Net, email KE5GGY at Gmail dot com.

Balloons over Russia.........

.....balloon headed round the world!

Hello,

I launched a balloon from Rochester NY on February 13, 2018 and it is still flying around the earth after 55 total days in the air.

This flight is using 2 very small balloons that cost $1.50 each using helium which makes it even more fascinating.

WSPR transmits 2 times in a row with the first being call sign and grid locator and the second using special Telemetry created by Hans Summer of QRP Labs. Hans was kind enough to allow me to use this special firmware for this U3S based transmitter.

Santa Claus Nets 2017

Tune in on 3.916 mhz, and give the kids or grand-kids a chance to talk to Santa Claus at the North Pole!   It is indeed a magical experience to experience kids talking with Santa through the magic of Amateur Radio!









The 3916 Santa Net is on the air every night, November 27th through December 24th at 7:30 PM Central. To participate in The Santa Net, just have your kids prepared to tell Santa their top 2-3 gift wishes.

The Santa Nets are presented annually by The 3916 Nets. The Weather Bunch, The Rag Chew Crew, The Tailgaters, The Freewheelers and The 3916 Late Late Show are all amateur radio nets that meet on 3.916 MHz.

new CNY Rag Chew Net on 3.940 Mhz

   New HF  net on 3.940 Mhz, Monday-Saturday at 2PM EST, known as the“Central New York Rag Chew Net “ .

We welcome all hams that are licensed for the freq, our first net on the Feb. 27th drew (15) check ins. We have discussed the “possibility” that we will need to move to 40 meters as summer comes on.

The check ins so far have been mostly from here in the North East; Maine, Connecticut, Mass, NY, NJ, and Pa.

Thanks

 Paul; KB2MUQ, Holland Patent, NY,

Military Exercise - Amateur Operators Needed

Military Exercise COMEX 16-4 Amateur Operators Needed 10/30-10/31

The United States Department of Defense with the Departments of United States Army and Air Force and United States MARS are holding their fourth quarter exercise.

     This exercise is an continuous 48hr exercise comprising of Military, Government, and MARS stations testing the continuity of communications during an unknown event that will simulate a wide spread communications failure.

     For military stations the exercise runs Sunday 30 October through Tuesday 1 November 2016 but Amateurs have been asked to participate in a few key specific times throughout the days of Sunday the 30th and Monday the 31st.

     The DOD and Military command have asked for Amateurs in Western New York to help in this exercise by providing simple county status information for their stations at specified times on the 60 Meter INTEROP channel 1 throughout the exercise.

Upcoming International Lighthouse-Lightship Weekend August 20-21

An update on the ILLW.........

Link to original post:  http://www.upstateham.com/2016/06/international-lighthouse-lightship.html

ROCHESTER:

Rochester Amateur Radio Association (RARA) will also have their station K2R from the grounds of the Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse for the 2016 International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend. This annual Amateur Radio weekend event was founded in 1995 by 2 members of the AYR Amateur Radio Group, AARG, Scotland and held on the 3rd full weekend in August. This year’s event takes place August 20 & 21 - Duration 48 hours from 0001 UTC 20.8.2016
This is not a contest, it is simply a fun event to highlight lighthouses and lightships around the world.

The 2015 weekend was disappointing do to poor conditions on the airwaves. Here is a weekend summary:
 63 contacts in US and Canada
 22 States
 11 Lighthouses
 2 Lightships
If you would like to join us stop down. Contact Forest, WA2MZG,if you would like to help. [email protected]
(from the August 2016 RARA Rag newsletter)

SYRACUSE:

Cayuga Lake Ham get-together

Doug, W2GT is organizing an informal get-together Saturday, July 9th at Frontenac Park in Union Springs.  The plan is to start in the early morning (~9am) set up a portable HF station and have some fun with other hams until probably mid-afternoon, depending on weather and band conditions, feel free to stop in.  Doug and his group are regulars on the Bristol repeater (145.110, pl 110.9) and will be listening there.

Frontenac Park is on the NE corner of Cayuga Lake - take State Route 90 into Union Springs and turn onto Chapel Street to the park, the pavilion is in an isolated area at the south end of the park . Its only 15 minutes from Auburn and less than hour from many areas in Oswego, Ithaca, Syracuse and Rochester. Come on out, meet some nice folks and enjoy some Ham radio outdoors!

W2GT; Doug Bower can be reached at [email protected].